Sunday, June 27, 2010

Hay List is ultra-impressive
Hay List served notice on Australia’s best sprinters with a devastating win in the $175,000 WJ Healy Stakes over 1200m at Eagle Farm.
Hay List treated his rivals with contempt to run out the easiest of winners, his first win at stakes level but, judged on this performance, one would imagine certainly not his last.
On his first start for John McNair stable after eight wins from nine starts in Western Australia under the tutelage of Jim Taylor, Hay List finished a solid second to Love Conquers All in the June Stakes. Hay List was nominated for the Pacesetter Stakes at Gosford on Wednesday, but McNair elected to tackle the tougher race yesterday and his judgement was vindicated in style.
Hay List drove across the field from barrier 11 to lead after 400m and that, effectively, was the race over.
Hay List led to the home turn where jockey Chris Munce, still with feet on the dashboard, allowed the big gelding a bit more rein and response was both immediate and decisive.
Hay List simply accelerated away from his rivals. At the 300m he was some three-lengths clear and then, under the mildest of urgings from Munce, he kept going away.
At the finish it was a still widening five lengths and worth more as Munce began to ease the four-year-old down toward the finish.
Pinwheel (Lonhro) was second while Ego’s Dare (Hussonet) was close-up in third. The overall time was a quick 1.08.69 with the last 600m covered in 33.63.
“He is pretty exciting. I did say to Liz and Terry before the race that by January or February next year I could be training only one horse to a degree,” McNair said. “When I say that, I will still be training the others but I will be hands-on with this guy 24/7.
“We said to Chris, ‘you know the track, you know the field, you have seen what this horse can do, there is no point in me telling you what to do: you ride your own race’.”
Hay List was transferred to McNair pretty much on the advice of Taylor, who had real problems with the gelding’s feet on the firm surfaces in West Australia.
“He has amazing acceleration this horse, that is his real feature, plus his high cruising speed,” McNair continued. “He is going to have two or three weeks off now and we are going to try and get his feet 100% and then he will probably have his next start in the Missile or in Melbourne.”
“He is unbelievable, I have been lucky enough to ride some good sprinters in my time and he is right there with them, don’t worry about that,” Munce said. “I just gave him a bit of a click up at the 500m and away he went, he just took off. They had no hope of running him down.”
“His best win, fantastic. To bring him all that way and put him through so much, a new trainer, opposite direction and he came out and blitzed the field like that – what a horse,” owner Liz Davenport said afterwards.
The 10th stakeswinner worldwide by Statue Of Liberty (USA), Hay List has won nine of his 11 starts and earned $376,125.ANZ Bloodstock News – 27 June 2010

Hay List simply destroyed his rivals with a contemptuous display. Allowed to roll to the lead, Hay List was travelling strongly turning for home and when Chris Munce allowed him more rein, the big gelding simply strode clear under the minimum of urging to win easing up.ANZ Bloodstock News Race Analysis – 27 June 2010

Hay List destroys rivals in WJ Healy Stakes
The John McNair-trained Hay List showed he could be the galloper to replace the great Takeover Target after a devastating win in the $175,000 Group Three Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Perth Racing.com – 27 June 2010

Hay List a new star of the turf
A new superstar of the Australian turf may have been unearthed following the explosive win by former Perth sprinter Hay List in the Group Three Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm.
Jockey Chris Munce rated the four-year-old as potentially in the same class as his former Group One winners Spark Of Life and Dance Hero after he trounced Pinwheel by five lengths in Saturday’s 1200-metre feature.
“He’s some horse. I’ll go anywhere to ride him,” Munce said. “He could have won by seven or eight lengths easily.
“Spark Of Life and Dance Hero have proven themselves by winning at Group One level but this bloke has the potential to do the same.”Glenn Davis AAP – 26 June 2010

Hay List something special
Gosford trainer John McNair was responsible for the understatement of the winter carnival yesterday when he declared his galloper Hay List as being “something special”.
Raced by fashion icon Liz Davenport, Hay List made short work of the time-honoured W J Healy Stakes (1200m) field, running a race record of 1min 8.7sec, which was only 0.6sec outside the 10-year-old course record.
In the end Hay List had five lengths to spare to Pinwheel, with a short half-head to Ego’s Dare in third place.
“The way he won, he would have been hard to beat in anything,” McNair said. “This horse is a bit special. I will be training all of my horses but this one will be a hands-on job.”
McNair said Hay List could really motor and keep going at the speed for a long way.Mark Oberhardt Sunday Telegraph – 27 June 2010